Roman Balayan

Directing·Apr 15, 1941

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Roman Gurgenovich Balayan (Armenian: Ռոման Գուրգենի Բալայան, Russian: Рома́н Гурге́нович Балая́н; born 15 April 1941, Nerkin Horatagh, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union) is a Ukrainian-Armenian film director. In 1997 Balayan was awarded the title People’s Artist of Ukraine. Balayan worked as an actor in the theater of Stepanakert (located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region) in 1959–1961. He studied directing at the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography and film directing at the Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and Television University, graduating in 1969. Since 1970, he has worked at the Dovzhenko Film Studios in Kiev. Balayan calls himself a student of Sergei Parajanov. He was nominated and won several international prizes. He is well-known for his literary adaptations; authors whom Balayan has adapted for the screen are Anton Chekhov (Kashtanka, 1975; The Kiss, 1983, TV), Ivan Turgenev (The Lone Wolf, 1977; First Love, 1995), and Nikolai Leskov (Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, 1989). His film Flights in Dreams and Reality (1982), a drama about depression and a midlife crisis, is one of his most well-known works. Oleg Yankovsky portrays a creative man in his 40s who feels alienated in society. At the time of its release, politically minded viewers perceived it as a critique of Brezhnevian “stagnation”. His 1986 film Guard Me, My Talisman was entered into the main competition at the 43rd edition of the Venice Film Festival and won the Golden Tulip at the 1987 International Istanbul Film Festival. His 1977 film Lone Wolf was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival and his 2008 film Birds of Paradise was shown at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival. In 2018 he announced, that he may be shooting his next film in Ukrainian language.

Film	Credit
Ivan and Marta2023 · self	self
The Song of Flying Leaves2023 · Writer	Writer
We Are Here. We Are Close2021 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
Yankovsky2015 · Actor	Actor
Birds of Paradise2008 · Director	Director
The Night Is Bright2004 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Summer Rain2003 · Producer	Producer
TTwo Moons, Three Suns1998 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
AA Night at Paradjanov's Museum1998 · Director	Director
Ivan Mykolaichuk. Dedication1998 · self	self
The First Love1995 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
The Lady in the Car1992 · Screenplay	Screenplay
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1992 · Director	Director
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District1989 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
The Spy1987 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Guard Me, My Talisman1986 · Director	Director
The Kiss1983 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
Flights in Dreams and in Reality1983 · Director	Director
Lone Wolf1977 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Kashtanka1975 · Director	Director
Romashkin Effect1973 · Director	Director
Thief1969 · Director	Director
Palm Sunday1969 · Director	Director
The One Who Fled Death1968 · Director	Director